THE FLASH

Welcome Back to Term 4!

Kia ora e te whānau,

Welcome back to Term 4! What a welcome break we have had to reset, recharge and refresh after an incredibly busy and action-packed Term 3! I hope you all managed to enjoy some quality time with your children, make some special memories and find a little time to relax. I also acknowledge the challenges that school holidays can bring for families juggling work commitments, childcare and busy family lives. It certainly isn't always easy, and I hope you managed to find some moments to slow down and enjoy time together.

Term 4 has started strongly, with our teaching staff taking the time to revisit classroom routines, expectations and positive behaviours. Establishing these foundations at the beginning of each term is so important in creating calm, settled and productive learning environments where all students can thrive. With a busy and exciting term ahead, we are focused on making every learning day count and finishing the school year on a high!

Our School Value – RESPECT

Our P.O.W.E.R. value for Term 4 is RESPECT. Respect is about treating ourselves, others and our environment with kindness, care and consideration. It means listening when others are speaking, valuing differences, using positive language, looking after our belongings and making choices that show we care about those around us.

Throughout the term, our students will be exploring what respect looks like, sounds like and feels like in our classrooms, playground and wider community. We encourage you to continue these conversations at home and celebrate the many ways your children demonstrate respect in their everyday lives.

ASB Financial Literacy

This week, we have been fortunate to welcome Callum from ASB Bank, who has been working with our students to develop their financial literacy skills. Each year level has participated in age-appropriate lessons designed to build their understanding of money and develop important life skills. Topics have included recognising the value of money, making thoughtful spending choices, understanding the difference between needs and wants, saving for goals and making responsible financial decisions. These are valuable skills that will support our tamariki well beyond their school years. A big thank you to Callum and ASB for providing these engaging learning opportunities!

Ag Day – Next Week!

The excitement is building as we prepare for our much-loved annual Ag Day next week! This is always a highlight on our school calendar and a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our rural community, the hard work of our students and the special relationships they develop with their animals.

We know that many of our tamariki have been putting in a tremendous amount of time and effort preparing their animals, and we cannot wait to see their hard work on display. Ag Day is about so much more than competition – it is about responsibility, perseverance, confidence, having a go and celebrating the achievements of others. We look forward to welcoming our whānau and wider community for what promises to be another fantastic day at Kio Kio School!

SunSmart – Hats and Sunscreen

With the warmer weather arriving, it is important that we continue to keep our students safe in the sun. During Terms 1 and 4, all students are required to wear a sunhat during morning tea and lunchtime.

The school provides sunscreen, and teachers will support students to apply it during break times. If your child requires sunscreen suitable for sensitive skin, please ensure they bring their own clearly named sunscreen to school.

We strongly encourage students to have a named sunhat that stays at school throughout the term. This helps avoid the daily challenge of remembering to bring one! From Week 2, students without a hat will be required to play in the shaded area under the covered deck.

Thank you for supporting us in keeping our tamariki SunSmart!

Lost Property – Please Come and Have a Look!

We currently have a mountain of lost property at school! Yesterday, we held a special lost property assembly and managed to reunite a large number of clothing items with their owners. However, there is still an enormous amount of unclaimed clothing remaining.

Some of these items have been sitting in lost property for several months, and we would really love to see them returned to their rightful owners.

Please take a few minutes to come into school and check the lost property before the end of Week 2. Any clothing or footwear remaining unclaimed after Friday 23 October will be donated to Hospice.

A friendly reminder that clearly naming your child's clothing makes a huge difference in helping us return lost items. Thank you for your support!

Athletics Skills Are Underway!

Our athletics skills sessions kicked off yesterday, and it was wonderful to see our students getting active and developing their skills! Throughout the coming weeks, we will be practising a range of athletics activities, including running, jumping and throwing, in preparation for our upcoming athletics events.

These sessions are designed to build confidence, develop fundamental movement skills, encourage perseverance and promote positive participation. Most importantly, we want our tamariki to enjoy being active, challenge themselves and celebrate their own personal progress.

Athletics practice will take place on days when all classes are able to participate, so please ensure your children come to school dressed to be active, wearing suitable footwear and bringing a water bottle.

Principal Sabbatical – Term 1, 2027

I am delighted to share with our school community that I have been awarded a 10-week Principal Sabbatical for Term 1, 2027. This is a wonderful professional learning opportunity, and I feel very fortunate to have been selected. Principal sabbaticals provide an opportunity for school leaders to step away from the day-to-day demands of leading a school and dedicate time to professional learning, research and reflection, with the ultimate goal of strengthening teaching, learning and leadership.

My study will focus on strengthening assessment practices to better inform teaching, monitor student progress and identify next learning steps. This research will support our ongoing commitment to improving teaching and learning outcomes for all tamariki at Kio Kio School.

While I will certainly miss our tamariki, staff and whānau during Term 1, I am excited about the opportunity to bring fresh ideas, valuable insights and new learning back to our kura. During my absence, our Deputy Principal, Mrs Karen Coleman, will step into the Acting Principal role, ensuring continuity of leadership and the smooth running of our school. Mrs Dianne Shariff will take on the teaching responsibilities in Kahikatea during this time. I am incredibly grateful to both Karen and Dianne for taking on these roles, and I know our school will be in very capable hands. I look forward to returning in Term 2, refreshed and ready to put my new learning into practice for the benefit of our tamariki and school community.

Looking Ahead

As we settle into our final term of the year, there is so much to look forward to! Term 4 is always a special time at Kio Kio School, filled with learning, celebrations, exciting opportunities and moments to reflect on just how far our tamariki have come.

I encourage all our students to make the most of every opportunity, show kindness and respect to those around them, and continue striving to be the very best version of themselves.

To our whānau, thank you for your ongoing support, encouragement and partnership. It is this strong connection between home and school that makes our Kio Kio community so special.

Here's to a fantastic Term 4 – let's finish 2026 with plenty of P.O.W.E.R., pride and positivity!

Ngā mihi nui,

Pip Were
Principal | Tumuaki
Kio Kio School